Reference: http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.

asp

Capitalization Rules
Capitalization is the writing of a word with its first letter in uppercase and the
remaining letters in lowercase. Experienced writers are stingy with capitals. It
is best not to use them if there is any doubt.
Rule 1. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a
period.

Rule 2. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns.

Examples:
the Golden Gate Bridge
the Grand Canyon
a Russian song
a Shakespearean sonnet
a Freudian slip

With the passage of time, some words originally derived from proper nouns
have taken on a life, and authority, of their own and no longer require
capitalization.

Examples:
herculean (from the ancient-Greek hero Hercules)
quixotic (from the hero of the classic novel Don Quixote)
draconian (from ancient-Athenian lawgiver Draco)

The main function of capitals is to focus attention on particular elements within

any group of people, places, or things. We can speak of a lake in the middle
of the country, or we can be more specific and say Lake Michigan, which
distinguishes it from every other lake on earth.

Capitalization Reference List

 Brand names
Companies
Days of the week and months of the year
Governmental matters
Congress (but congressional), the U.S. Constitution (but constitutional), the
Electoral College, Department of Agriculture. Note: Many authorities do not
capitalize federal or state unless it is part of the official title: State Water
Resources Control Board, but state water board; Federal Communications
Commission, but federal regulations.
Historical episodes and eras
the Inquisition, the American Revolutionary War, the Great Depression
Holidays
Institutions
Oxford College, the Juilliard School of Music
Manmade structures
the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic
Manmade territories
Berlin, Montana, Cook County
Natural and manmade landmarks
Mount Everest, the Hoover Dam
Nicknames and epithets
Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat
Organizations
American Center for Law and Justice, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
Planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, but policies vary on
capitalizing earth, and it is usually not capitalized unless it is being discussed
specifically as a planet: We learned that Earth travels through space at 66,700
miles per hour.
Races, nationalities, and tribes
Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian, African
American (Note: white and black in reference to race are lowercase)
 Religions and names of deities
Note: Capitalize the Bible (but biblical). Do not capitalize heaven, hell, the
devil, satanic.
Special occasions
the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival
Streets and roads

Lowercase Reference List

Here is a list of categories not capitalized unless an item contains a proper

noun or proper adjective (or, sometimes, a trademark). In such cases, only the
proper noun or adjective is capitalized.

Animals
antelope, black bear, Bengal tiger, yellow-bellied sapsucker, German
shepherd
Elements
Always lowercase, even when the name is derived from a proper
noun: einsteinium, nobelium, californium
Foods
Lowercase except for brand names, proper nouns and adjectives, or custom-
named recipes: Tabasco sauce, Russian dressing, pepper crusted bluefin
tuna, Mandy's Bluefin Surprise
Heavenly bodies besides planets
Never capitalize the moon or the sun.
Medical conditions
Epstein-Barr syndrome, tuberculosis, Parkinson's disease
Minerals
Plants, vegetables, and fruits
poinsettia, Douglas fir, Jerusalem artichoke, organic celery, Golden Delicious
apples
 Seasons and seasonal data
spring, summertime, the winter solstice, the autumnal equinox, daylight saving
time

Rule 3. A thorny aspect of capitalization: where does it stop? When does the Iraq
war become the Iraq War? Why is the legendary Hope Diamond not the Hope
diamond? Everyone writes New York City, so why does the Associated Press
Stylebook recommend New York state? There aren't always easy formulas or
logical explanations. Research with reference books and search engines is the
best strategy.

In the case of brand names, companies are of little help, because they capitalize
any word that applies to their merchandise. Domino's Pizza or Domino's pizza?
Is it Ivory Soap or Ivory soap, a Hilton Hotel or a Hilton hotel? Most writers don't
capitalize common nouns that simply describe the products (pizza, soap, hotel),
but it's not always easy to determine where a brand name ends. There
is Timemagazine but also the New York Times Magazine. No one would argue
with Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola, but a case could be made for Royal Crown cola.

If a trademark starts with a lowercase word or letter (e.g., eBay, iPhone), many
authorities advise capitalizing it to begin a sentence.

Example: EBay opened strong in trading today.

Rule 4. Capitalize titles when they are used before names, unless the title is
followed by a comma. Do not capitalize the title if it is used after a name or
instead of a name.

Examples:
The president will address Congress.
Chairman of the Board William Bly will preside at the conference.
The chairman of the board, William Bly, will preside.
 The senators from Iowa and Ohio are expected to attend.
Also expected to attend are Senators Buzz James and Eddie Twain.
The governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general called for a
special task force.
Governor Fortinbrass, Lieutenant Governor Poppins, and Attorney
General Dalloway will attend.

NOTE

Out of respect, some writers and publishers choose to capitalize the highest
ranks in government, royalty, religion, etc.

Examples:
The President arrived.
The Queen spoke.
The Pope decreed.

Many American writers believe this to be a wrongheaded policy in a country

where, theoretically, all humans are perceived as equal.

Rule 5. Titles are not the same as occupations. Do not capitalize occupations
before full names.

Examples:
director Steven Spielberg
owner Helen Smith
coach Biff Sykes

Sometimes the line between title and occupation gets blurred. One example
is general manager: is it a title or an occupation? Opinions differ. Same
with professor: the Associated Press Stylebook considers professor a job
description rather than a title, and recommends using lowercase even before
the full name: professor Robert Ames.
However, titles replacing someone's first name are generally capitalized.

Example: Here comes Professor Ames.

Rule 6a. Capitalize a formal title when it is used as a direct address. The
more formal the title, the more likely it is to be capitalized.

Examples:
Will you take my temperature, Doctor?
We're sorry to report, Captain, that we're headed for choppy waters.
That's what you say, mister.
Good afternoon, sweetheart.

Rule 6b. Capitalize relatives' family names (kinship names) when they
immediately precede a personal name, or when they are used alone in place
of a personal name.

Examples:
I found out that Mom is here.
You look good, Grandpa.
Andy and Opie loved Aunt Bee's apple pies.

However, these monikers are not capitalized when they are used with
possessive nouns or pronouns, or when they follow the personal name, or
when they do not refer to a specific person.

Examples:
My mom is here.
Joe's grandpa looks well.
The James brothers were notorious robbers.
There's not one mother I know who would allow that.

Rule 6c. Capitalize nicknames in all cases.

 Examples:
Meet my brothers, Junior and Scooter.
I just met two guys named Junior and Scooter.

Rule 7. Capitalize specific geographical regions. Do not capitalize points of

the compass.

Examples:
We had three relatives visit from the West.
Go west three blocks and then turn left.
We left Florida and drove north.
We live in the Southeast.
We live in the southeast section of town.
Most of the West Coast is rainy this time of year. (referring to the United
States)
The west coast of Scotland is rainy this time of year.

Some areas have come to be capitalized for their fame or notoriety:

Examples:
I'm from New York's Upper West Side.
I'm from the South Side of Chicago.
You live in Northern California; he lives in Southern California.

Rule 8. In general, do not capitalize the word the before proper nouns.

Examples:
We visited the Grand Canyon.
They're fans of the Grateful Dead.

In special cases, if the word the is an inseparable part of something's official

title, it may be capitalized.

Example: We visited The Hague.

Rule 9. It is not necessary to capitalize city, town, county, etc., if it comes
before the proper name.

Examples:
the city of New York
New York City
the county of Marin
Marin County

Rule 10a. Always capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even
midsentence.

Example: Lamarr said, "The case is far from over, and we will win."

Rule 10b. Do not capitalize quoted material that continues a sentence.

Example: Lamarr said that the case was "far from over" and that "we will
win."

Rule 11. For emphasis, writers sometimes capitalize a midsentence

independent clause or question.

Examples:
One of her cardinal rules was, Never betray a friend.
It made me wonder, What is mankind's destiny?

Rule 12. Capitalize the names of specific course titles, but not general
academic subjects.

Examples:
I must take history and Algebra 101.
He has a double major in European economics and philosophy.

Rule 13. Capitalize art movements.

 Example: I like Surrealism, but I never understood Abstract
Expressionism.

Rule 14. Do not capitalize the first item in a list that follows a colon.

Example: Bring the following: paper, a pencil, and a snack.

For more on capitalization after a colon, go to "Colons," Rules 1, 3, and 4.

Rule 15. Do not capitalize "the national anthem."

Rule 16a. Composition titles: which words should be capitalized in titles of

books, plays, films, songs, poems, essays, chapters, etc.? This is a vexing
matter, and policies vary. The usual advice is to capitalize only the "important"
words. But this isn't really very helpful. Aren't all words in a title important?

The following rules for capitalizing composition titles are virtually universal.

Capitalize the title's first and last word.

Capitalize all adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.
Capitalize all pronouns (including it).
Capitalize all verbs, including the verb to be in all forms (is, are, was, has
been, etc.).
Capitalize no, not, and the interjection O (e.g., How Long Must I Wait, O
Lord?).
Do not capitalize an article (a, an, the) unless it is first or last in the title.
Do not capitalize a coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but, for, yet, so)
unless it is first or last in the title.
Do not capitalize the word to, with or without an infinitive, unless it is first or
last in the title.
Otherwise, styles, methods, and opinions vary; for instance, certain short
conjunctions (e.g., as, if, how, that) are capped by some, lowercased by
others.

A major bone of contention is prepositions. The Associated Press

Stylebookrecommends capitalizing all prepositions of more than three letters
(e.g., with, about, across). Other authorities advise lowercase until a
preposition reaches five or more letters. Still others say not to capitalize any
preposition, even big words like regarding or underneath.

Hyphenated words in a title also present problems. There are no set rules,
except to always capitalize the first element, even if it would not otherwise be
capitalized, such as to in My To-go Order (some would write My To-Go
Order). Some writers, editors, and publishers choose not to capitalize words
following hyphens unless they are proper nouns or proper adjectives (Ex-
Marine but Ex-husband). Others capitalize any word that would otherwise be
capped in titles (Prize-Winning, Up-to-Date).

Rule 16b. Many books have subtitles. When including these, put a colon after
the work's title and follow the same rules of composition capitalization for the
subtitle.

Example: The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage

Note that A is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle.

Note that A is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle.

Suppose you are reviewing a book whose title on the cover is in capital
letters: THE STUFF OF THOUGHT. Beneath, in smaller capital letters, is the
subtitle, LANGUAGE AS A WINDOW INTO HUMAN NATURE. All sides would agree that the main
title should be written, The Stuff of Thought. But depending on which
capitalization policy you choose, the subtitle might be any of the following:
 Language As a Window Into Human Nature
Language as a Window Into Human Nature
Language As a Window into Human Nature
Language as a Window into Human Nature

Any title of more than two words can be a challenge. How would you
capitalize a title such as not yet rich? Since the first and last word in any title
are always capitalized, the only question is whether to cap yet. In this
case, yet is an adverb, and adverbs are always capped. So make it Not Yet
Rich.

Now suppose the title is rich yet miserable. This time yet is one of the seven
coordinating conjunctions (the others are and, or, nor, but, for, and so). Since
coordinating conjunctions are not capitalized in titles, the right answer is Rich
yet Miserable.

Here are two correctly capitalized titles: Going up the Road and Going Up in a
Balloon. In the first title, up is a preposition, and short prepositions are not
capitalized. In the second title, Up is an adverb and should be capped.

Along the same lines, compare the following three sentences: I Got It off the
Internet, Please Put It Off for Today, and I Hit the Off Switch. In the first
example, the preposition off is lowercase. But the word must be capped in the
second example because put off, meaning "to postpone," is a two-word
phrasal verb (a verb of two or more words). One-word verbs, helping verbs,
and phrasal verbs are always capitalized. Off is also capped in the third
sentence because the word functions as an adjective in that title, and
adjectives are always capitalized.

Although the seven coordinating conjunctions are not capitalized, you may
have noticed there are many more than seven conjunctions in English. Most
of these are called subordinating conjunctions, because they join a
subordinate clause to a main clause. Familiar examples
include as, although, before, since, until, when.

There are three approaches to capping subordinating conjunctions: capitalize

them all, lowercase them all, or capitalize them if they are words of four letters
or more. Take your pick.

Capitalizing composition titles is fraught with gray areas. Pick a policy and be
consistent.